David Nahmad was grading papers in his Scranton living room when his phone rang with a video call from Paris. The caller identified himself as a representative from Christie's auction house. Nahmad's first reaction wasn't excitement — it was suspicion.

"How do I know this isn't a prank?" the 68-year-old retired art teacher asked, according to Christie's account of the conversation.

It wasn't a prank. Nahmad had just won a genuine Pablo Picasso painting valued at $1.1 million (€1 million) through a charity raffle that cost him just €100 to enter.

A Painting for a Cause

The winning artwork, "Nature Morte" (Still Life), is a 1921 Picasso oil painting that depicts the artist's characteristic cubist interpretation of everyday objects. The piece was donated anonymously to Aides et Actions, a French nonprofit organization focused on providing clean water access to communities in Madagascar.

The charity launched the raffle in February as an innovative fundraising approach. For €100 per ticket, supporters worldwide could enter for a chance to own an authenticated Picasso — with all proceeds funding well construction and water purification systems in rural Madagascan villages.

"We wanted to democratize access to fine art while solving a humanitarian crisis," said Marie-Claude Bertrand, executive director of Aides et Actions, in a statement. "Fifty thousand people can't afford a Picasso at auction, but 50,000 people contributing €100 each can change thousands of lives."

The raffle drew 51,140 entries from 47 countries before closing on April 10th. The drawing took place at Christie's Paris headquarters on April 14th, with the event livestreamed to ensure transparency.

From Skepticism to Stunned Silence

Nahmad, who taught art history at Scranton High School for 34 years before retiring in 2023, purchased his single ticket in March after reading about the raffle in an art education newsletter.

"I've taught about Picasso's blue period, his rose period, his cubist innovations — I've shown slides of his work to literally thousands of students," Nahmad told Christie's representatives during the verification call. "I never imagined I'd actually own one."

The video call lasted nearly 20 minutes as Christie's staff walked Nahmad through the authentication process and next steps. The painting will remain in climate-controlled storage at Christie's Paris facility until Nahmad decides whether to take possession, place it in a museum on loan, or potentially sell it at auction.

According to sources familiar with the raffle terms, winners have no obligation to keep the painting and face no tax penalty if they choose to sell immediately through Christie's.

The Authentication Question

Provenance verification was central to the raffle's credibility. Christie's provided full documentation tracing "Nature Morte" back to Picasso's studio in 1921. The painting has changed hands four times since then, most recently residing in a private Swiss collection before being donated to the charity.

Dr. Enrique Mallen, director of the Online Picasso Project at Sam Houston State University, confirmed the painting's authenticity in February after examining it in person at Christie's request.

"The brushwork, the signature, the materials analysis — everything confirms this is genuine Picasso from his early cubist period," Mallen said in his authentication report, which was made public as part of the raffle's transparency measures.

The painting's relatively modest $1.1 million valuation reflects both its size (approximately 18 by 24 inches) and its status as a minor work from a prolific period in Picasso's career. Major Picasso paintings have sold for over $100 million at auction in recent years.

A Fundraising Model Goes Viral

The raffle's success has prompted discussion in nonprofit circles about alternative fundraising approaches. Traditional charity auctions typically attract only wealthy donors who can afford winning bids, while this model allowed broader participation.

Aides et Actions reported raising approximately $5.6 million (€5.1 million) after Christie's fees and operational costs. The organization estimates this will fund clean water access for roughly 40,000 people across 23 villages in Madagascar's Analamanga region.

"The math is extraordinary," said nonprofit consultant Rebecca Torres, who was not involved with the raffle. "One donated painting generated more impact than most organizations raise in five years of traditional fundraising events."

However, Torres noted that the model requires an extraordinary donated asset to work. "You can't raffle off a Picasso every year," she said. "But for organizations that can secure high-value donated items, this proves there's an appetite for accessible participation in exclusive markets."

What Happens Next

Nahmad has not yet decided the painting's fate. He told Christie's he's considering three options: keeping it for personal enjoyment, loaning it to his former school's art department for educational purposes, or selling it to fund scholarships for art education students.

"I spent 34 years trying to make art accessible to kids who thought museums were for rich people," Nahmad said. "Maybe this painting can keep doing that work in some way."

Christie's has offered to facilitate any option Nahmad chooses, including a potential auction later this year if he decides to sell. The auction house estimates the painting could fetch between $1.1 and $1.4 million at public sale, given the publicity surrounding the raffle.

For now, "Nature Morte" remains in Paris, a cubist still life that has become anything but still — its journey from Picasso's studio to a charity raffle to a retired teacher's unexpected windfall representing perhaps the most democratic art transaction in recent memory.

Aides et Actions has announced it will not repeat the raffle model in 2027, citing the difficulty of securing comparable donated artworks. But Bertrand noted that several other nonprofits have already contacted the organization seeking advice on structuring similar campaigns.

"We proved that art and charity can intersect in new ways," Bertrand said. "That's almost as valuable as the funds we raised."